August 30, 2005Another new facility and more shutdowns for QuebecorMONTREALQuebecor is planning to build a new printing facility in Toronto that will produce its Sun Media newspapers the Toronto Sun, the London Free Press and the 24 hours free Toronto paper. It will also print Yellow Book directories, a long-term $900 million contract it recently signed. The new printing plant will cost $110 million and is expected to open in 2007. The restructuring will involve shutting down the current print operations of the London Free Press and the Toronto Sun. Three hundred and twenty jobs will be cut, 180 of those at the London newspaper, but 200 jobs will be created at the new plant. The company expects to raise utilization of the presses to almost 100% by combining the newspaper and directory facility. Upon completion of the newspaper press run, it plans to switch to production of white and yellow page telephone directories. The new plant will be equipped with three MAN Roland Colorman presses including 15 reelstands and three jaw-type folders. It will also have an automated definition and colour density system. The Communications Energy and Paperworks Union has condemned Quebecor’s decision saying the centralized printing will sacrifice local news in London.

L’Imprimerie Admiral closes its doorsST. LAURENT, Que.L’Imprimerie Admiral shut down earlier this summer after it fell into bankruptcy. The trustee has confirmed that it took possession of the shop’s assets and auctioned them off.

August 27, 2005Quebecor building new newspaper plantMONTREALQuebecor plans to have its new printing plant for Le Journal de Montreal up and running by the spring of 2007. At the cost of more than $110 million, Quebecor Media will move its printing operations to a 200,000-sq.-ft. plant in Saint-Janvier-de-Mirabel, northwest of the city. The company reports that the plant will eventually be able to print other publications as well. It will be equipped with three new MAN Roland presses and a shipping room will also be built and fully-automated inserting equipment will be installed. The newspaper’s current press operators are expected to keep their jobs but 250 part-time workers who stuff flyers into the publication will lose theirs, although the company says it will try to help them find other work.

Central Printing auction in GuelphGUELPH, ONCentral Printing Services has closed its doors after 45 years of service and its owner is retiring. The press equipment and accessories are bring auctioned off at the shop this coming Monday, August 29 at 10:30 a.m., with a preview at 9:30 a.m. The equipment, which includes a Heidelberg letterpress, Heidelberg offset press, AB Dick offset press and several bindery and finishing machines can be viewed at www.mooreandassociates.on.ca.

Target closes its doorsMARKHAM, ONPrintCAN has learned that Target Bindery Services recently closed up shop after several years in business. The owners could not be reached for comment.

August 23, 2005Mail Boxes Etc. stores to be renamed UPSOAKVILLE, ONMail Boxes Etc. Canada will follow in the footsteps of the chain’s U.S. counterpart and rebrand itself as the name of its parent company, UPS, starting this fall. After the U.S. Mail Boxes Etc. stores converted to the UPS name, it reportedly resulted in doubled shipping volume in about a year and sold more than 500 franchises. The 276 Canadian franchises hope the high-profile UPS name will generate more sales as it has south of the border. Mail Boxes Etc. is the largest franchise chain of business and communication centres in Canada and it hopes to increase its annual sales to $100 million with five years, from the $60 million - $65 million it brought in last year. Ninety-five percent of Canadian franchisees have opted to participate in the renaming. About 15 stores will remain as Mail Boxes Etc. UPS acquired Mail Boxes Etc. a few years ago and employs 7,400 people in Canada and 384,000 worldwide, with more than 5,400 locations around the world.

Telus print shop on strike in Western CanadaBURNABY, BCUnion members at the Telus print and document centre have been on strike for the last five weeks as part of a Telus labour dispute in Western Canada. The print shop employs more than one hundred people and prints Telus bills as well as Hydro bills, credit union cheques and financial statements, WCB cheques, billings for the Finning company, and stock market trading records. Bruce Bell, president of the Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU) says the print centre is limping through operations at less than 60% capacity, using workers who are crossing the picket line. In total, about 13,700 union members who work for Telus in Alberta and British Columbia are being affected by the labour dispute. Bruce Bell says the dispute has to do with Telus changing language in the collective agreement that would allow the company to contract out call centre jobs to the Phillipines, taking jobs away from the Canadian workers. Specifically Telus has plans to contract out more than 300 jobs, although the company reportedly says none of those would be jobs at the printing centre. Bruce Bell expects the dispute will last at least another five weeks and could also affect Telus workers in Ontario and Quebec.

August 19, 2005PLM second quarter results goodMARKHAMPLM Group’s sales for the second quarter increased to $27.6 million from last year’s second quarter sales of $26.2 million. However the company’s Q2 gross profit slipped slightly to $7.6 million from $7.8 million a year ago. PLM attributed the lower margin to sales mix and pricing pressure in a very competitive market. Also, its selling and administrative expense increased to $5.2 million from $5 million from the same period a year ago, reflecting higher costs to support the development of new business and general wage increases.

August 16, 2005Howell Energraphics files for bankruptcyTORONTOHowell Energraphics was deemed bankrupt on August 4 after failing to file a proposal to restructure its operations. Grant Thornton Ltd. was appointed trustee of the estate. A creditors’ meeting has been scheduled for August 23. The company has filed a list of 160 creditors, eight of which are secured and owed slightly more than $5 million. The largest creditor is Prodigy Graphics Group, which is owed $3.2 million.

CPIA names new presidentOTTAWAThe CPIA has appointed Bob Elliot as its new president. Elliot is a certified association executive, a designation of the Canadian Society of Association Executives. He has spent 22 years as chief staff officer of three national associations, including executive director of Judo Canada, executive director of Kinsmen & Kinette Clubs of Canada and president of the Canadian Retail Hardware Association. He is relocating from Cambridge, Ont., to start with the CPIA on a full-time basis on September 12, but in the interim will be at the association office about three days a week.

August 12, 2005Canadian Printers bring home Benny awardsTORONTOSeveral Canadian printers once again took home a Benny from the Premier Print Awards. Hemlock Printers received two Bennys in the Magazines and Stationery Packages categories. Integria won in the Programs category. Metropolitan Fine Printers received four of the prestigious awards in Booklets, Stochastic, Direct Mail Campaigns and Media Kits. Pacific Bindery Services took home two awards for Adhesive Binding and Graphic Finishing. Also, Friesens won in the Yearbook category. The Bennys will be handed out at a gala event during PRINT 05 in Chicago.

FSC certification for Western shopVANCOUVERMetropolitan Printers is now one of the first commercial printers in western Canada to obtain Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain-of-custody certification through the Rainforest Alliance SmartWood Program. The designation enables the shop to use FSC certified paper print jobs, as well as the FSC logo. The chain-of-custody program tracks the source of wood product, from the forest to its final destination. Metropolitan went through a comprehensive assessment of its manufacturing practices to ensure that it is handling FSC-approved products. There are now more than 26 print shops in Canada that are FSC certified and five organizations that can certify companies including SmartWood.

CPIA convention early bird registrationOTTAWAThe CPIA annual national convention has extended its early-bird special for registration until Friday, August 19. The convention will be held in Montreal from September 28-October 1. For more information, visit www.cpia-aci.ca. Also, stay tuned next week for the announcement of the new president of the CPIA.

August 9, 2005Johnstone Print Litho closes its doorsMARKHAM, ONJohnstone Print Litho, a 16-year-old commercial print shop with 19 employees is closing its doors. Owner Bob Johnstone says there is one more job to finish and then the facility will be closed for good. He says too many people in the trade factored into the closure. “They don’t understand it and they’re just giving the work away and you just can’t compete with them,” says Johnstone.

Biggest ever directory contract for Quebecor WorldMONTREALQuebecor World has a new 12-year $900 million contract to print Yellow Book USA’s yellow pages directories, believed to be one of the largest ever directory printing contract. The contract will include more than a trillion pages on paper containing recycled content.

August 5, 2005Regal in receivershipTORONTORegal Greetings and Gifts has gone into receivership. The company was started more than 75 years ago by William McCarthy, an envelope salesman who began manufacturing his own greeting cards and grew into a national catalogue gift company with 43 sales centres across Canada. Hundreds of contracted sales representatives and dozens of staff have lost their jobs. Deloitte & Touche has been appointed receiver. The company states that it is looking for prospective buyer.

Beer good for printers
MONCTON, NBAccording to Statistics Canada reports, breweries generate jobs in printingas well as the paper, publishing, retail, accommodations, food service and agriculture sectors. The information is good news for industry in New Brunswick, which is expecting a $35 million Molson Coors brewery to begin construction this month. The company’s first new brewery in 40 years will be its first-ever facility in the Maritimes and Molson Coors is expected to set up some of its regional communications, marketing and sales operations in the city.

August 2, 2005
NEBS buys Dots & Pixels
MIDLAND, ONNEBS Business products is acquiring Dots & Pixels, a digital colour print shop in Woodbridge, Ont. Dots & Pixels is well-known for being one of the first digital print shops in Canada and offers variable printing and web-to-print solutions. NEBS expects the acquisition will increase national service capabilities to the small business customer. Dots & Pixels will continue to be led by founders John Rogers and Dave Rogers. NEBS is a $73 million direct marketing provider, specializing in short-run products and services. The company operates four main sales channels, including Safeguard Business Systems, NEBS Payroll Service, DFS Group and NEBS Direct.

Ho hum Q2 for Quebecor WorldMONTREALQuebecor World’s second quarter profit fell to US$10 million from US$16 million in the same period last year. Consolidated revenues increased to US$1.49 billion, up from US$1.47 billion. The company says the dip in profit reflects contract losses of commercial printing business, restructuring losses and continuing global price pressures. Results for the second quarter include costs of US$31.8 million for impairment of assets, restructuring and other charges, the company said. Quebecor commercial sheetfed division, which is up for sale, is classified as a discontinued operation.